**A/N** Well, here's number seven for the day! I'm sort of caught up in the story and can't bring myself to stop now! I hope you guys are enjoying this. Just bear with me, because I'm really trying. Review! I can't get enough reviews--the more the merrier, and the more I'll be encouraged to write... Just a warning: I'm feeling really evil tonight.
Herimone's eyes widened as Voldemort uttered the word, "Crucio." Suddenly her body was wracked with pain, and she was screaming uncontrollably. Severus was beside her, looking horrified. Suddenly, Hermione managed to concentrate and suddenly Peter Pettigrew fell dead.
Voldemort looked shocked, and moved just as Severus cast his own killing curse. He hit Narcissa Malfoy instead. Concentrating just hard enough to break his bonds, Severus sprang up to meet Voldemort's eyes. The Dark Lord only smiled and pointed his wand at the writhing Hermione. "Very impressive, Severus, but it's too late to save her.
She looked up at him and murmured, "Crucio" at the moment he uttered the killing curse. Their perfect exchange left Hermione limp and Voldemort writhing on the ground, truly helpless for the first time in years.
Snape felt himself filled with the blackest rage imaginable, and immediately he called the power out of himself and murmured the words, even though they weren't really necessary.
"Avada Kedavra." Two blasts of green light smashed into the Dark Lord, nearly ripping his body in half. Severus looked up to lock eyes with Harry Potter, who had cast the spell at the same time as he. Both stared for a moment at the Dark Lord's limp body. "Incendio," Harry whispered, and they watched silently as the body of the Dark Lord burned away. Soon all that was left of Voldemort was a pile of ashes and the Dark Lord's wand, which still exuded unimaginable evil. Severus looked at Harry once more, and they both acknowledged each other with a new sort of respect. It was finally over. Truly over.
There were sounds of continued fighting somewhere else, but Severus couldn't think of them any longer when he looked down at Hermione. Dropping to his knees, he took her limp body in his arms and simply held her. Her eyes were closed and her body was still warm, so it looked as if she were merely sleeping. Harry murmured a counter-curse to release Dumbledore from his bonds, and the old man pushed himself up with great effort. Harry had to help prop him up until he was stable again. Then Harry's thoughts turned to his now deceased best friend.
For the first time in his life, Harry saw one of his professors cry. And, even more shockingly, the one shedding the tears was the heartless Severus Snape. The Potions Master's body was wracked with silent sobs, and he had buried his face in Hermione's neck. Dumbledore looked at his friend, and allowed a tear to fall from his own eye. Harry soon found himself crying, as well.
Eventually the sounds of fighting in the distance stopped, and haggard, battle-worn students began to file into the Great Hall. Many stopped short at the sight of their Potions Master crying and clutching the presumably dead body of Hermione Granger. When on any other occasion they would have been horrified, most students now began to look concerned. A few began to cry as well. Ron and Draco rushed forward to embrace Harry, and the three of them cried so much and so close together that they weren't sure which tears belonged to which student.
Somehow Professor Snape didn't seem so heartless anymore. The students were actually looking at him with sympathy. Minerva McGonagall had managed to rise from the floor and stagger over, and looked on in amazement. She had never thought that something like this might happen. She was filled with sudden emotion on behalf of her most despised colleague. Hagrid had also made his way over, and he had begun to sob.
But no matter who happened to be standing there, all attention would have remained on the silently sobbing Professor Snape, who was oblivious to everyone except for the disturbingly still girl cradled gently in his arms.
Herimone's eyes widened as Voldemort uttered the word, "Crucio." Suddenly her body was wracked with pain, and she was screaming uncontrollably. Severus was beside her, looking horrified. Suddenly, Hermione managed to concentrate and suddenly Peter Pettigrew fell dead.
Voldemort looked shocked, and moved just as Severus cast his own killing curse. He hit Narcissa Malfoy instead. Concentrating just hard enough to break his bonds, Severus sprang up to meet Voldemort's eyes. The Dark Lord only smiled and pointed his wand at the writhing Hermione. "Very impressive, Severus, but it's too late to save her.
She looked up at him and murmured, "Crucio" at the moment he uttered the killing curse. Their perfect exchange left Hermione limp and Voldemort writhing on the ground, truly helpless for the first time in years.
Snape felt himself filled with the blackest rage imaginable, and immediately he called the power out of himself and murmured the words, even though they weren't really necessary.
"Avada Kedavra." Two blasts of green light smashed into the Dark Lord, nearly ripping his body in half. Severus looked up to lock eyes with Harry Potter, who had cast the spell at the same time as he. Both stared for a moment at the Dark Lord's limp body. "Incendio," Harry whispered, and they watched silently as the body of the Dark Lord burned away. Soon all that was left of Voldemort was a pile of ashes and the Dark Lord's wand, which still exuded unimaginable evil. Severus looked at Harry once more, and they both acknowledged each other with a new sort of respect. It was finally over. Truly over.
There were sounds of continued fighting somewhere else, but Severus couldn't think of them any longer when he looked down at Hermione. Dropping to his knees, he took her limp body in his arms and simply held her. Her eyes were closed and her body was still warm, so it looked as if she were merely sleeping. Harry murmured a counter-curse to release Dumbledore from his bonds, and the old man pushed himself up with great effort. Harry had to help prop him up until he was stable again. Then Harry's thoughts turned to his now deceased best friend.
For the first time in his life, Harry saw one of his professors cry. And, even more shockingly, the one shedding the tears was the heartless Severus Snape. The Potions Master's body was wracked with silent sobs, and he had buried his face in Hermione's neck. Dumbledore looked at his friend, and allowed a tear to fall from his own eye. Harry soon found himself crying, as well.
Eventually the sounds of fighting in the distance stopped, and haggard, battle-worn students began to file into the Great Hall. Many stopped short at the sight of their Potions Master crying and clutching the presumably dead body of Hermione Granger. When on any other occasion they would have been horrified, most students now began to look concerned. A few began to cry as well. Ron and Draco rushed forward to embrace Harry, and the three of them cried so much and so close together that they weren't sure which tears belonged to which student.
Somehow Professor Snape didn't seem so heartless anymore. The students were actually looking at him with sympathy. Minerva McGonagall had managed to rise from the floor and stagger over, and looked on in amazement. She had never thought that something like this might happen. She was filled with sudden emotion on behalf of her most despised colleague. Hagrid had also made his way over, and he had begun to sob.
But no matter who happened to be standing there, all attention would have remained on the silently sobbing Professor Snape, who was oblivious to everyone except for the disturbingly still girl cradled gently in his arms.